I Love You, Baka
by Chewpie
Summary: The battle between two brothers results in an unexpected turn of events for a certain blonde ninja and a pink haired kunoichi. N/S.
1. Valley of the End

**Naruto**

Rain.

Rain? Is this rain on my face? Where am I? Why is it so dark? I can't see anything and- wait.

Sakura? Why's Sakura crying on me? What happened?

Pain, now all I feel is pain- my chest...it feels like there's a gaping hole in it. And Kurama- I can't feel Kurama. Is the war over? Did Madara win? Am I dead?

I must be dead and I must be in heaven, because I hear Sakura calling my name as if I were dead. All of these sensations, everything I feel, it's like a cold menacing burn trapping me in limbo- it's dark and I can't see, loud but I can't hear, humid but suffocating and ominous. What is this dark place…and- light?

I can see now. Sasuke. Sakura.

Sasuke- where's Sasuke? Did I defeat him? I remember now…

**Sakura**

Naruto. Naruto wake up. Naruto, move! You are not dead. You are not dead. You are not dead.

YOU ARE NOT DEAD.

Naruto, please, NARUTO!

He's not breathing. I better heal—wait. There's- there's a giant hole here. There's no way he survived this, especially not after- not after something like that. Sasuke-kun—what did you do? Naruto, you better live, you dummy, you irresponsible rash dummy!

I'm crying. Crying harder than I ever have. All of these feelings, I finally—I finally sorted them out; I finally wanted to show you. And I was too late—I'm always too late. Why do you always get left with these impossible tasks and impossible choices?

It's my fault. I failed when I tried relieving you of your burden, when I was going to kill Sasuke-kun. My resolve wasn't as strong as I thought. And look what it's done now—just look at what it's done.

Naruto, I wish I were on time, I wish for once I could just tell you everything I've said when you weren't around. I wish that for once things would work out, and that this time you would believe me. But you were right—I was lying to myself then. But not about what you think, not about you—I lied when I said Sasuke-kun meant nothing to me. I loved him once, I did, and he was our teammate, our friend—of course I still cared. But I meant it when I said that I loved you. That was real. And I wish you could've seen that. And now…now you're…

**Earlier That Day**

The rivals fought the battle of the century; the parallel between Madara Uchiha and Senju Hashirama reincarnated in the form of two teenage boys, bound in brotherhood by their loneliness and suffering. Sasuke stood at one end of the Valley, readying his final Chidori attack—the vengeance in his eyes, and bloodlust on his lips reeked of hatred and darkness. Naruto stood opposite of him, his Rasengan full of light and hope. The eternally bound brothers took their stance, using the last of their chakra to carry out their final assaults—it's just as it was three years ago.

"Sasuke…don't you remember? This is exactly where we were three years ago. Me and you—fighting with everything we had," said Naruto.

"Naruto," replied Sasuke "don't associate me with you. I've told you once and I'll say it again—I want nothing to do with you. Once I kill you here, I'll destroy all of Konoha, _AND CLEANSE THE UCHIHA FROM THE RIDICULE THE LEAF BURDENED IT WITH!_"

Naruto chuckled.

"You still after all this time- you refuse to see me as your equal. Don't you, Sasuke?" Naruto shifted his stance, his form moving into a more defensive position, Rasengan in hand. Sasuke did the same, only his stance became more offensive, as his Chidori-powered hand moved slightly forward.

"You were never my equal. Three years ago, I held back—I spared you on a whim. Even now, I see you as nothing but an obstacle. I told you I would kill you if you didn't kill me first. You can't kill me because you're still holding onto that foolish idealism called bonds."

"Sasuke—"

"-Naruto. Those bonds were nothing but an illusion. Revenge is the only bond I've ever had, the only bond I've ever known—and it's the only bond I'll ever acknowledge—_**SO SHUT UP AND DIE YOU BASTARD!"**_

"_**SASUKE!"**_

_**"NARUTO!"**_

Naruto and Sasuke leapt from their positions, techniques in hand, ready to strike at one another. Sasuke's chakra was darker than ever before, emitting a darkness that made even Naruto's determination waver for a split-second. But Naruto didn't give up—he kept going with his attack.

They clashed.

Dark chakra engulfed the Valley as it had three years ago, leaving a dark cloud to loom overhead. Naruto and Sasuke made eye contact, the blood red Mangyeko Sharingan meeting determined fox-slit eyes. Each brother saw what the others' eyes held.

'_I finally understand why I couldn't bring you back…and it's because I didn't understand you. I didn't know what it was like to lose someone I loved so much, to hold so much resentment for one person, until I lost Ero-Sennin…'_ thought Naruto. '_I thought I understood because we were both always alone, but now I see you weren't always alone from the start like I was. You had bonds…and they were cut down, right in front of you…'_

"Sasuke," Naruto looked at Sasuke with more determination in his eyes than ever before. "Sasuke, I understand. I know- I know why you sought revenge. I know why you wanted it so badly that you would sacrifice everything for it!" The blonde ninja cried out, hoping his final words to his friend would hit home. "I understand, Sasuke! And I want to help you! I want to shoulder your pain- because I'm your brother!"

Sasuke's eyes widened—to his horror, something in him struck a chord, and he began to feel the darkness in his heart waver. His brow furrowed as he began pondering the meaning behind Naruto's words.

'_Brother._ _What…why is part of me listening to this bastard's words—they're absolute bullshit. I am an avenger. I will cleanse the Uchiha from this world. But then…why…'_

"Naruto. I was never your friend."

'_You were my first bond after the incident, but I severed my bond with you. No matter what, my heart seeks revenge, and I will get it. I won't let this slight spike in light set back everything I've worked for!'_

"But, I was your brother. And I still am." Sasuke smiled. Naruto smiled back, realizing that his words struck the small good part of Sasuke that remained intact. Both brothers dispelled their jutsu, and landed safely on the rocks below.

"Sasuke. I knew I'd bring you back one day. I just-"

_CHIDORI!_

Right before using his remaining chakra, Sasuke had made a clone with enough chakra to create one last Chidori for a final blow. Sasuke's eyes glimmered with victory—his eyes held the killing intent of a true avenger.

"Sa…su…ke…" Naruto struggled to say his ex-comrade's name, blood spilling out of his mouth and gaping wound.

"Naruto," Sasuke looked down on Naruto's bleeding body, vengeance and blood in his eyes. "I told you I would not let you get in my way. I told you that I would not hesitate to kill you. Now, I will destroy everything you love; Sakura, Kakashi and Konoha…you will lose everything—if you even live."

Sasuke walked away, triumph on his lips, sinister eyes looking toward his destination, Konoha. But even though he defeated his longtime rival and left him for dead, a distant part of him felt the first signal of remorse and guilt that he had felt in a long time. The expression in his eyes shifted from avenger to long lost comrade and friend.

'_Naruto. I vowed to destroy you—and I did. I feel as high as ever, but at the same time, I regret it. For the first time in a long time you showed me light, if even for a brief second—but I'm an avenger. And I will cleanse the Uchiha. That is who I am.' _

He was completely depleted of chakra—his battle with Naruto left him completely vulnerable should he run into anyone on the way. He decided to find Madara and recover for a while before pondering his fate- would he destroy Konoha and everything Naruto stood for? Sasuke now questioned whether or not this was the right way to cleanse the plagued Uchiha name.

_'Itachi...against your wishes, I killed my best friend. I vowed to destroy Konoha. Are you...are you ashamed of me, Itachi? What are you seeing, big brother?' _

Sasuke continued walking through the Valley, making his way through the rocks and boulders. He hated himself for questioning his resolve- but he was an avenger. He was doing the right thing- wasn't he?

_'Itachi, answer me you lazy bastard. I know I'm an avenger- but is destroying Konoha the right way? You gave up everything to protect it- you gave up our clan, our family...me. All I know is that somehow, in some way, I have to cleanse our clan's legacy- even if that means killing anyone or anything that gets in my way.' _

"Sa…suke…" Naruto thought.

'_How did I lose? I told myself…I told myself I'd keep my promise…that I'd save a friend…before I became Hokage…'_

Naruto tried to move, but to no avail. His wounds were too grave—only intense medical attention would help him now.

Sakura raced through the thicket of trees faster than she ever had before. Her wounds were minor thanks to her evasive training from Tsunade, but her chakra reserves were moderately low due to high volumes of wounded shinobi on the battlefield. Still, she continued speeding to the one location where she knew Naruto and Sasuke would be.

Hours earlier, she'd run into Naruto battling Uchiha Madara. Naruto managed to hold him off and forced him to retreat, but shortly after, Sasuke appeared on the battlefield. Her first instinct was to help Naruto defeat Sasuke, as much of his chakra and Kurama's had been used up defeating Madara.

_"Naruto! Let me help you! I can help you fight Sasuke-kun-" Sakura pleaded._

_"Sakura-chan, heal the others! Don't worry about me—help them! I can handle Sasuke!" Naruto yelled._

_"Naruto, you're always trying to handle everything on your own—but baka, when will you accept that sometimes you need some help? I don't want to be a burden anymore—and I want to be with-"_

_"Sakura-chan," Naruto suddenly appeared right in front of her, his face unusually close to hers, his eyes glowing with hope and resolve. "Do you trust me?" He looked at her straight in the eyes, and Sakura looked straight back, her cheeks flushing bright pink._

_"More than anyone I know," she replied without hesitation._

_"Then you know I'm the only one that can do this. Don't worry—I'll be back, and I'll bring Sasuke back with me for you—just like I promised I would. That's my ninja way!" Naruto disappeared in a yellow blur, reappearing next to Sasuke in the distance._

'_Baka Naruto, it's not Sasuke-kun I'm worried about…it's…'_

Sakura continued her rapid pace.

'_He hasn't come back yet—he should have been back by now. I should have at least crossed him if he were coming back. Something's wrong. Something's very wrong.'_

Sakura finally cleared the forest and was in the Valley of the End. Only there was no battle ensuing—and all she could make out in the distance was a red and orange bundle. The closer she was, the more she could see that the motionless orange object on the ground could be none other than her Naruto Uzumaki—and he wasn't moving.

'_No. No. No no no no no. No. No!'_

Sakura knelt down beside Naruto's motionless form. She could see a huge gaping hole in his chest. From the explosive pattern and nature of the wound, she knew the cause—Sasuke's chidori. She could tell that Naruto had been hit from behind—Sasuke must have double-crossed him or made him let his guard down.

She focused her chakra on her palms, and started the first steps in the healing process. Her hands pressed against what was left of his chest firmly; she didn't feel the same radiating body heat that she usually felt when healing him.

'_Why isn't he healing? Where's the fox's chakra?' _

Sakura continued channeling her chakra into the wound—the progress was painstakingly slow, and she didn't have that much chakra left in her reserves. She reached into her side pouch and pulled out a bundle of soldier pills.

'_I did say I would save them for a rainy day…these shorten my life span a bit, but they're worth it if I can save his life. Naruto…'_

She took one of the soldier pills and immediately felt a spur of chakra replenishing itself in the blink of an eye. She focused it more intensely on the wound, and while it began to heal slightly faster, it wasn't near the speed she was hoping for. Her eyes began watering, her lips quivering—she couldn't bear the denial any longer. For one last time, she placed her head against what was left of his chest to feel for a heartbeat.

Nothing.

Sakura cried in despair. Naruto was dead. Sasuke, the murderer. How had her team become so twisted? How had everything taken a turn for the worst? One minute she's standing with Naruto on the battlefield, nearly touching, faces so close, and the next she's crying over his motionless body. She didn't know how to deal with this—because she trusted Naruto with all her heart. She didn't prepare for this because she knew he would always come through, that he'd always be safe. He was Naruto—the idiot that defied the odds even when they were stacked against him. The idiot that made her feel safe and warm. The idiot that she loved with all her heart. And here he was, dead. She was sick. She needed to vomit, but she held it back. She wanted to punch him for betraying her trust—but this time there'd be no 'Sakura-chaaan!' to follow that punch. No, this time it'd be a lifeless thud—a soundless noise, an action with no meaning.

'_Why…why must things always be this way? Everything I do…it's always so insignificant…'_

She rigorously continued for almost an hour, stopping only for mere seconds to catch her breath. Then, the impossible happened—a hand touched her face. Sakura must have been dreaming, because there was no way that hand could belong to—

"Sakura…chan?" Sakura broke from her daze in rapid shock, followed by an instinctual sigh and smile of relief. The hole in his chest healed.

"NARUTO!" Sakura quickly pulled him in an embrace, forgetting all his other injuries. She hugged him tighter than she ever hugged anyone, never wanting to let him go again.

"Sa-Sakura-chan, I'm okay," he replied. The expression on his face was one of shock and then one of happiness. And then he remembered the events that preceded what was happening now—he remembered Sasuke seeing the light for a brief second, and snapping into darkness the next. Sakura pulled away from the hug and saw his sorrowful expression.

"Naruto. You—you did everything you could. But Sasuke-kun- Sasuke-kun is a different person now. I'm not saying I don't believe in you—because I'll always believe in you, no matter the odds, no matter what anyone says. I'm saying that maybe, well, maybe it's just time to let go."

Naruto's sorrowful expression lingered. His eyes were full of melancholy, his lips pressed in a grim line, his eyebrows furrowed and his fists clenched.

And suddenly he broke into a grin. Sakura found this puzzling, and had no idea where this grin was coming from, but she was glad that he could still smile. The silence that followed was not as heavy as before, and instead, was more lighthearted and cheerful.

"Sakura-chan," he broke the silence. "Sakura-chan, I didn't fail." He chuckled. Sakura pondered for a moment, and finally realized what he meant.

"Ah, Naruto. You didn't fail. You finally fought Sasuke-kun—and I'm sure he acknowledges you now."

"Hehe, that's not all Sakura-chan. When I spoke to him, when we were both in that bubble of darkness, I told him that I understood. And I finally do understand. It's like I told you in the Land of Iron—I didn't understand until I lost Ero-Sennin."

Sakura listened intently, taking in every single one of Naruto's words as if they were jewels from a lost treasure chest. She was always in awe at how great he was with words—she knew he would make a great Hokage.

"Anyway—I said what I wanted to say. And I saw it. Sasuke, I saw the old Sasuke!" exclaimed Naruto with pride. "I saw the same Sasuke from Team 7—even if it was brief. I think I got to him. It's too bad that it didn't last too long and he ended up turning back to the darkness before I realized it. But I saw him see the light. I saw his eyes."

Sakura smiled. Seeing Naruto this happy made her even happier. His expression—it read of relief and happiness. His burden was finally relieved. He did bring Sasuke back—even if it wasn't physically, he brought him back, if even for a brief moment in time.

"You know Sakura-chan," Naruto chuckled, "it's only a matter of time before Sasuke comes back to the village on his own. I can't tell you if he'll come back to actually return, or to destroy it- but either way, I'll kick that bastard's ass! He told me...he told me that he wanted to destroy everything I stood for, before he left me for dead. But I don't think he meant it. His eyes told me something different. That look in his eyes—it was longing, Sakura-chan. He wants to come back- he just doesn't know it yet! And when he does, you two can finally be together!"

Sakura jumped at the realization of what he was saying—he didn't know that she had moved on from Sasuke, had he? In his mind, he still held the image of the twelve-year-old girl that was obsessed with earning Sasuke's love and acknowledgement at the expense of everyone else. And here he was now, still harboring that image engraved in his mind, selflessly putting her happiness before his own. Sakura realized this, and did the only thing she could do.

"Sasuke-kun is our friend, Naruto. Sasuke-kun's our comrade. But he isn't who I want to be with." Sakura's firm eyes were unwavering.

Naruto looked puzzled. "But…Sakura-chan, I thought—"

"Baka. I listened to you in the Land of Iron but did you listen to me? No!" Sakura punched him hard enough to knock him back a few feet, his face buried in the ground as he groaned. She walked over to him, and tried getting him on his feet, but his chakra was too far depleted and they both tumbled to the ground. Naruto landed on the bottom while Sakura landed on one of his legs, her face very close to his. Both pairs of cheeks flushed.

"Naruto. I—I meant what I said."

Again, Naruto looked puzzled—she said she meant what she said…

"Ah! You meant that a girl's heart is as changeable as the autumn sky! Which means…" Naruto's expression changed from one of realization to one of horror. "Wh- what? You mean you like Fuzzy-Brows now?"

_Twitch._

_Twitch, twitch._

_**PUNCH. **_

_ 'How could he be such an idiot. I guess some things just never change…"_

"Sa-Sakura-chan, that hurt a lot! And I still don't get what you were trying to say—" Naruto's sentence was cut short as a pair of lips swiftly but softly pressed against his. Sakura held the kiss for a few more seconds before finally pulling away. A wave of emotions flooded Naruto's system, resulting in a wide eyes, and a gush of blood rushing to his cheeks.

"Baka. Now do you understand what I mean?"

'_Did Sakura-chan just—did she just kiss me? Does this mean- well, only one way to find out for sure…'_

Naruto hoped for the best—to not be on the receiving end of another Sakura punch, but instead, another Sakura kiss. He put his hand around her neck and pulled her in for another kiss. Sakura cupped his face with her hands, and deepened the kiss. Her lips tasted just like the freshness of spring, when the cherry blossoms bloomed, and the wind carried them around in a beautiful melodic swirling motion. They stayed that way for a little over two minutes before the two reluctantly pulled away for air.

"Ah, so you do understand what I meant now, eh Naruto?" Sakura smirked, a playful expression on her face as a sudden gush of wind danced with her hair. Naruto looked in awe at how beautiful she was—how beautiful she looked even with all the battle scars and wounds. He realized that this was the best day of his life so far—he'd made Sasuke see the light, and finally had the girl of his dreams, his only one. He was the luckiest shinobi on the planet, and nothing could tear him away from this moment.

"Sakura-chan. You did mean what you said, didn't you? I just thought you always loved Sasuke. I wanted to tell you but- I didn't think I could after I failed you—" Sakura silenced him with another brief peck on the lips.

"Naruto, you never failed me. If anything, I'm the one that failed—for not realizing how much of a baka you are and not kissing you then to show you how I felt, and for not kissing you before all of this happened! Do you know how much panic you've caused me? You practically gave me a heart attack when I thought you were dead—"Naruto interrupted her with a kiss.

Racing thoughts plagued his restless mind—when did Sakura's feelings for him change, and why didn't he see it sooner? He always held onto that image of Sakura pining over Sasuke—he always held onto the pain he felt when he realized he wasn't the one she wanted. And now it was all so different—she wanted him. She wanted to be with him, just the two of them, together. And it was suddenly so clear now—every small action and gesture that he overlooked, every moment of worrying that she thought was for Sasuke or other people—it was all for him. He had faced formidable enemies, conquered the odds, mastered the Senjutsu arts in a matter of days, and created a technique that not even his father, the Fourth Hokage, could complete—but nothing could prepare him for the words and feelings he was about to express for the first time.

"Sakura-chan…I love you." Naruto's eyes pierced her like a sharp whirlwind just as a flood of emotions took over. In that moment, the wind picked up and danced with her pink hair and his blonde locks, both moving in harmonious rhythm and grace. It was the moment that he'd gathered all of his guts and courage for—the moment that he'd never thought could possibly happen. It would only be complete if one more thing happened…

"I love you too, baka."

**Author's Note: **

So this was actually supposed to be a one-shot NaruSaku, but, if I get enough reviews saying to continue, I'll happily continue our mysterious arc for at least a few good chapters! Hope you enjoyed it!


	2. Fleeting Sunshine

_Two Weeks Later_

Since the war unofficially ended two weeks ago and the Shinobi Alliance claimed a temporary, and hopefully permanent, victory, the weather in Fire Country had been phenomenally calm and serene. The plants and flowers that were once withered began springing to life, as light showers rained water on their leaves and freshened them once more. Animals that went deep into hiding during the war began abandoning their hideouts and burrows and interacting with the now calm surroundings. No living thing had anything to fear at the moment, and it was a blissful moment indeed—one that everyone would enjoy to its fullest extent until time called for a halt.

Konoha was blessed with the same fate of the forests and forest animals—the refugees hidden in the stony mountains were finally allowed out of their deep underground fortress, and children that had not seen daylight for at least two weeks were rewarded with pleasant weather and rays of sunshine. Since the war had interrupted Konoha's reconstruction following Pain's invasion, many buildings were left unfinished and needed immediate attention if anyone were going to inhabit them. Konoha shinobi and villagers alike were uncharacteristically enthusiastic about breaking their backs to finish these buildings—it seemed like the latest victory lifted everyone's spirits to the point that any task that was dreadful was now the most rewarding activity they could ever do.

Shinobi that were injured during the war were either released with a statement of good health or on the verge of being doing so. The only ninja whose internal health and physical conditions were nowhere near ready for satisfying diagnoses was none other than the international hero and local village prankster, Naruto Uzumaki.

Naruto lay in his hospital bed, counting the many dots on the ceiling of the infamous white room.

"128. 129. 131—I mean 130. 131. 132," he mumbled. The look of boredom on his face clearly showed that the hospital was the last place he wanted to be—he was positive that Kurama would've healed him completely by now. Of course, a certain pink-haired kunoichi would say otherwise, and if Naruto tried to so much as argue with her over it, she would either hit him on the head with a chakra enhanced punch and kill him, or peck him on the lips and tease him with something that he couldn't have as of this moment. Either option was a form of torture for him, so he lay in his hospital bed complacently, never once questioning Sakura's judgment.

Sakura meanwhile did her rounds in the hospital, checking on every single patient in her sector and making sure that medications were distributed accordingly, that all intravenous lines functioned perfectly, and that all transfusion blood bags were maintained at the appropriate temperatures. The work of a medical ninja on the battlefield may seem different from the work of a medical ninja in the hospital, but the job is one and the same—keep the patients alive and well, and make sure nothing else happens to them. The added bonus with being a medical ninja on the battlefield is that evasion and combat are necessary skills if one wants to be useful to the squadron. For many shinobi, the number one priority is keeping village secrets and information safe from the enemy, even if it means self-sacrifice. For medical ninja, the number one priority is staying alive.

Sakura finished up her sector and went to her last task of the day. She approached Naruto's room with a needle in hand and a small tube of medicine. As she put her hand on the door handle, she giggled maliciously, feeling like a mad scientist that was about to experiment on an unlucky lab rat. Sakura opened the door—only to be greeted by an empty bed and an open window.

_**"NAAAAARUUUUUTOOOOOOOOO!" **_Sakura screamed in anger as she furiously stomped over to the window to see if Naruto could be seen. Unfortunately, the idiot was vastly more skilled than he looked. That became apparent when Naruto appeared right behind Sakura and hugged her from behind.

"Sakura-chan!" He yelled as he continued to spin Sakura around in circles, still hugging her from behind.

"Na-Naruto," she blushed, "Baka, put me down! We have to get this experi- I mean procedure over with! Don't you want to go home?" Naruto wasn't listening, as made obvious by the fact that he still hadn't put her down. Sakura couldn't deny that she was enjoying it—since the Valley of the End, being in Naruto's arms was one of the few things that felt right anymore, and one of the only things that made her truly happy.

How long had she felt like this? Had she always felt this away about him? Since the Valley of the End, Sakura continuously questioned as to when her feelings first developed. She didn't question it out of negative curiosity. She questioned it because if her feelings had developed early on, why did she repress them to the point that it took Naruto constantly putting himself in danger to realize them? She questioned her feelings not because of Naruto, but because of herself. Why did she refuse to acknowledge them—and was this something Naruto deserved?

'_I didn't notice him until I almost lost him. What kind of person am I? Naruto…even now, I—'_

Her thoughts were interrupted by Naruto's dangerously close face and his constant mouthing of words that she couldn't understand until she finally returned to the real world.

"Konoha. To. Sakura-chan. Hellooooo!"

"Baka, I'm listening, I'm listening!" Sakura yelled as a vein began popping on the right side of her head.

"I'm sorry Sakura-chan. It's just you—well you sort of spaced out and I wanted to talk to you but you were in Sakura-chan Land and even though I really wanna visit one day I just wanted to talk to—' Sakura interrupted Naruto's rambling with a passionate kiss that Naruto immediately returned. The two stayed that way for a little over a minute before they pulled away for air. Suddenly, Sakura's expression changed—her eyes showed emotions deeper than anything she'd ever felt or expressed, and it suddenly became clear.

"Naruto, I need to tell you something." Naruto was confused. Was this the end of their short but sweet romance? Did Sakura's feelings for Sasuke suddenly re-surface just when things were going so well and so right? What was going on?

"Sakura-chan, what's going—"

"Baka, don't interrupt me. I need to tell you something." Sakura paused for a minute. She took Naruto's hand in her own, and intertwined their fingers. She locked eyes with him. "I love you."

"Sakura-chan...I love you, too. But what is this all of a sud—"

"Naruto I wasn't finished! I said I love you. But, it's different this time. I want you to know the truth, Naruto. I really love you. I—I think you're the only one I've ever loved. I don't understand it—how emotions so big can exist in someone so small. But this is—this is huge. I don't think what I'm even saying right now can describe what I feel for you. I'm in love with you, and I just wanted you to know that I'm always and always will be by your side." Naruto leaned down and kissed Sakura on the cheek. He pulled her closer and hugged her, her head resting on his shoulder.

"Sakura-chan…thank you."

* * *

Elsewhere, a raven-haired ninja recovered in a cave far from anywhere the Alliance's eyes could see. Sasuke Uchiha and Tobi were greatly outmatched at this point in time, but it was clear that this was only a time for temporary recovery, and that a new plan would soon take its course.

The cave was in the depths of what was left of the Village Hidden in the Sound, hidden beneath a mountain range. The only way anyone could get in was if they had the cursed eyes of the Uchiha—the Sharingan. Certain rocks reacted to the evoked chakra signature of the Uchiha clan, and upon activating the Sharingan, the rocks slid to reveal an opening. It was the perfect hideaway, as only Tobi and Sasuke possessed the Sharingan, other than Kakashi—but he was not of the Uchiha clan, so the chakra signature wouldn't match.

The cave was more of an underground base than an actual cave, as there were multiple chambers, rooms and a laboratory. This must have belonged to Orochimaru long ago, but because Sasuke killed Orochimaru around a year ago, it was now technically his. The cave had a room on the eastern side of it that reminded Sasuke of his old home in Konoha.

Sasuke rested on a cot in the eastern side of the cave, his back towards the door and his face nearly pressed against the rocky wall. Since his battle with Naruto at the Valley of the End, something in Sasuke changed—and it flustered him to no end. He now questioned his resolve, his quest for revenge, and most of all, questioned Tobi's orders and motives. Was Tobi even honest about the events on the night of the massacre? And would destroying Konoha even satisfy him anymore? Sasuke couldn't take the mental tension any longer, and decided to take a walk through the forest. Before he could exit the cave, Tobi teleported before him.

"Sasuke. Where do you think you are going, Sasuke?" Tobi questioned with inquisitive eyes.

"I'm going for a walk. I need to get out of this cave," Sasuke scoffed. "Get out of my way—I don't want to hurt you." Sasuke hardened his expression in an attempt to move Tobi without starting any trouble. But Tobi did not budge, and instead began glaring.

"Sasuke—you and I are a number one priority in every nation's bingo book. Do you honestly want to risk getting caught? Do you know what they'll do to you? Not that they can capture you so easily, but you are not in your best condition right now. Stay in the cave," Tobi demanded.

Sasuke smirked. "And if I don't? What will you do, 'Tobi'. Will you teleport me into your magical dimension and punish me for an eternity? Get out of my way." Sasuke shoved Tobi aside and made his way to the cave opening. Before Sasuke could fully step outside, Tobi made one last attempt to keep him inside.

"You've become arrogant, young Uchiha. But you've also become soft. Don't think I haven't noticed that you suddenly demand nicely before resorting to violence, and that you actually value human life again. Sure, you're unreasonable at times, but you remain calm. What happened to your hatred? What happened in your battle with that Kyuubi brat that you're not telling me? Or, are you afraid of your hatred?" Tobi smirked, a concealed but apparent smile beneath his mask. "If you're running away from your hatred, I'd like to tell you that that's impossible. You are an Uchiha—our clan was built on hatred, and that foundation will keep the cycle of hatred moving as long as we live. I built this clan on the subtle ideals of hatred many years ago because hatred breeds anger, and anger breeds power. As long as hatred exists, and as long as anger fuels that hatred, so will power. Take control of hatred, and you take control of power. Do you understand this, Sasuke? If you run away from your destiny, you run away from the power that you sought so desperately."

Sasuke stared at Tobi with an unreadable expression. Suddenly, he laughed.

"You're trying to tell me to stop running away from my hatred when you disappeared for decades. I'm not the coward here—you are. You talk of this hate filled destiny for the Uchiha clan. You may have founded our clan, but your agenda doesn't rule it! The Uchiha were ridiculed and ostracized because of your twisted ideologies—if anything, it's your fault that our clan is almost nonexistent!"

Tobi and Sasuke shifted their stances closer to each other, each getting more offensive with each passing moment. The tension between the two electrified the air and created a menacing clashing aura. Sasuke broke the silence, and laughed once more.

"Madara. Whatever you want, I don't care about it—I've found a new destiny." Sasuke glared, his stern expression unwavering. "My hatred—I'll embrace it. But I think I've found a new target. I think tossing you in with the rest of the trash that tainted the Uchiha name is a fitting destiny for you!"

Sasuke activated his Mangekyou Sharingan and drew his Sword of Kusanagi. He lunged at Tobi and attempted a downward slash with his katana, but Tobi quickly used one of his space-time jutsus to de-materialize; the blade passed right through him. Sasuke anticipated this and quickly used a fire technique to heat up all the air inside the cave, and the only unaffected area was in his vicinity. Tobi began materializing in the unaffected space; Sasuke smirked and quickly activated his Chidori Nagashi. The now electrified air current caught Tobi off guard, and temporarily stunned him in his tangible state. Sasuke readied his sword for an impaling strike to the heart until his body abruptly stopped moving.

"Nng," Sasuke groaned as his body ceased all movement.

"Sasuke, you have much to learn if you ever hope to defeat me. Your techniques are impressive, but you've yet to use your Sharingan to its full potential. You cannot resist my genjutsu, Sasuke."

Sasuke couldn't believe he had been caught in a genjutsu. _'Shit. How and when? I have to break out of this damn thing!'_

"Relax, Sasuke. My genjutsu only stuns your muscle movement as long as what you are looking at are my eyes. Your organs and internal functions are still in working order. Now, you're going to be good, and you're going to listen."

Sasuke reluctantly listened. It hit him however, that Tobi did say his organs and internal functions were still in working order. Which meant his chakra wasn't stunned—but to focus it without any movement of his muscles would be daunting and very difficult. Sasuke decided to play along with Tobi's plan, and pretend to listen to his speech while in reality he was focusing his chakra towards his eyes.

'_If I can just get enough chakra into my eyes to re-activate my Sharingan and break out of his damn genjutsu, I can kill him in that moment of surprise.' _

"Now Sasuke," Tobi began, "listen carefully. I do not wish to hurt you. After all, you're a fellow clansmen and the newest generation of greatness. All I want is for you to realize that our hatred isn't because of me. It was Konoha's foolish idealism and belief in the wretched 'Will of Fire' that tossed our clan into an era of oblivion and sorrow. The ones that need to be destroyed are those elders and everyone else in that village—they tainted our name by refusing our power and instead shunning it as an icon of betrayal and violence! I tried to warn my clansmen, but they too fell prey to the witchcraft of the Senju and their petty lies of peace and prosperity. They realized too late that my way was the right way to rule—to rule through power, through hatred. I came back to the village a number of years later with a plan to destroy it, but your dear brother begged me not to—I think you already know how this story ends. Although, there is one detail that I left out from that night, and it isn't pretty."

Sasuke's facial muscles couldn't move, but his internal expression turned to one of surprise.

"Yes, that detail. I helped murder the clan. But I didn't do it out of love for the village as your brother did. I did it out of spite, out of vengeance for my betrayal. I did it to restore the Uchiha name and cleanse it of all its impurities and useless softness. Although, they were planning to overthrow the Leaf Village—but I don't think that would have gone well. Besides, letting the village kill my own clan would have been like letting a stranger punish my own child—I didn't want the Senju to take all my pleasures away," Tobi smirked.

By this time Sasuke was furious and almost done focusing his chakra. The anger bottled up inside him sped up the process incredibly, and he would only need at the most another minute. Even so, concentrating his chakra under the pressure of such heated and intense emotions made the task more difficult than it already was. Sasuke was about to snap.

'_That bastard. He's been behind this all along! I'm going to kill him, I'm going to tear him limb from limb!'_

"Dearest Sasuke, I can tell that you're flustered. You don't even need any facial expressions to tell me that. Do you hate me, Sasuke? You should—I've done terrible things that are just, well, unforgiveable. You should kill me. Unfortunately, I still have you immobilized, and it will stay that way until I can trust that your anger boils down and redirects itself in the proper direction. Actually, Sasuke, I'm not the one you should hate. Because Konoha, better yet, the Senju are the ones that made the Uchiha, the ones that made me, this way. You should be focusing your hatred on that Kyuubi brat and the Leaf's Hokage—they are descendants of the Senju!"

Tobi's fists clenched as he flailed them with the twisted passion in his voice. "Crush them, and you will awaken your true power! Your true hatred will finally connect with its roots and give fruition to the most formidable power of all—"

"_**SHARINGAN!" **_Sasuke successfully activated his Sharingan and dispelled Tobi's genjutsu. He quickly created a Chidori and with his incredible speed and element of surprise, impaled Tobi through the heart. Tobi, still focused and held up on how Sasuke managed to break free of his hold, held a discouraged face of surprise as he felt his tangible body being ripped through.

'_This—this brat got me. This is—this can't be the end!'_

Tobi fell to the floor with an electrified impact, sending shockwaves of electricity throughout the cave, and showing how much anger and power went into Sasuke's defiant attack.

"Sa-Sasuke—your hatred wasn't supposed to be for me—" Tobi coughed into his mask.

"The only one who gets to decide the direction of my hatred is me and me alone. And right now, I hate those that taint my Uchiha clan name. I hate you. This is your fate—your destiny has been decided. You will die by my hand, and you will die regretting that I have stolen your dreams and ambitions. But before I kill you, I want to see your true identity…"

Sasuke kneeled down to remove Tobi's mask. A sudden feeling of hesitation fell upon him just as he grabbed the tip of the mask. Something told him that removing this mask would complicate matters to levels more extreme than they were right now. Nonetheless, he grabbed the mask, and began to pull.

Shock. Despair. And even more hatred.

Sasuke stumbled backwards, stunned.

"It—it can't be. You're not Uchiha Madara, you're—"

* * *

Sakura and Naruto lay asleep in Naruto's hospital bed, and although the bed was rather small for two people, Sakura's small frame fit perfectly next to Naruto's. The sun began shining through the curtains, and hit Sakura's eyelids dead on. Sakura's eyes fluttered open before she realized that her and Naruto had slept through the evening and the night, as it was now morning. Horrified, she quickly hopped out of the bed, triggering the ungraceful snort of the blonde ninja that lay beside her.

"Mmm, Sakura-chan, you look so se—"

_**WHACK.**_

Sakura punched Naruto into the wall, waking him instantly.

"Sa-Sakura-chan what was that for!" Naruto whined as he rubbed the top of his head.

"Baka. You were having pervy dreams again!" Sakura yelled in Naruto's face as she pulled her fist back and prepped herself to deliver another blow.

"S-S-S-S-Sakura-chan! S-Stop! I was just- a guy has needs! It was just a dream, I'll try not to let it happen again!" Naruto pleaded as he arranged himself into a bowing pose. "I, Naruto Uzumaki, swear to never have pervy dreams about sexy- I mean Sakura-chan again!"

Sakura lowered her fist, and instead grabbed Naruto's chin to plant a kiss on his lips. "Fine, I'll accept your apology," she said, "But you have to take me on a date. Tonight."

Naruto's eyes widened in excitement as he picked himself up off the ground and stood in front of Sakura. "Sakura-chan, really? I get to take you on a real date? Wait, but I'm not allowed to leave the hospital…"

"You can leave the hospital when I give the okay. And seeing as I punched you in the head this morning, I think you'll be fine if all you do is walk around. But no training for at least three days, you idiot! I know you love to push yourself and break limits beyond the wonders of Kami, but no more of that for now. You won't put yourself in any more danger! You're already strong enough!" Naruto pulled Sakura into a hug.

"Naruto, what the hell—"

"Sorry Sakura-chan, but you started tearing up when you told me I was strong enough and all that stuff. I just don't like to see you cry or tear up," Naruto explained.

"You're an idiot," she said as she weakly punched his chest. "I just don't want you in anymore danger. You're always left to do the impossible, and you can't be doing that anymore! You're an idiot for jumping into those challenges headfirst without thinking! I have all the faith in the world in you but damn it can't you just for once consider that you might get hurt, or that the people that love you get paranoid and worried about you?" Sakura punched him in the chest lightly again.

"Aw, Sakura-chan. You worry about me?" Naruto chuckled.

"You're a baka. A foolish, hard-headed, unpredictable, incomprehensible, stupid, baka!" Sakura punched him lightly for every insult.

"I know," he said. Sakura looked at him, surprised that he didn't complain that all she was doing right now was insulting him, even if it was playful. "I know I'm an idiot. But I'm an idiot who knows what he loves. And I love you. I also love the village. And because of that, I'll challenge anyone that puts who I love in danger." Sakura stared at Naruto's determined expression. "One day I'll be Hokage—I'll protect everyone I love. And maybe one day, you and I, we'll have a family. And I'll protect that, too! Just how Dad protected Mom and I until he died, and Mom protected me until she died, I'll protect you and our family until I die! I would rather die than let anything happen to—"

"Yea, yea, I get it Naruto, you'll protect me and our family until you die. Although, that might be a problem, because I'll protect you and our family until I die. And if my resolve is as stubborn as yours and I refuse to let anything happen to you or our family, then what? If that's the case, who'll protect who?" Sakura and Naruto broke into laughter, each still in the other's embrace.

"I guess we'll have one invincible family, eh Sakura-chan?"

"I guess we will, Naruto. Ah, I have to get back to actually doing my work. Why don't you go greet everyone else that you haven't seen for awhile? Maybe you can even talk to Hinata about that…well, what happened during your fight with Pain."

Naruto's expression turned mildly serious, as he remembered the time when Hinata confessed her love for him. He was torn between not addressing the issue and ignoring it, or facing it and making it clear that he loved Sakura, but would still like to be her friend. Hinata was strong, and he respected even admired her for it—but she was not the one he loved.

"Yea, I guess I do have to face her sooner or later. I think I'll go do that right now, actually! If I ignore it, it'll just be disrespectful, and that's not how I feel about Hinata at all. I'll see you later Sakura-chan! I'll be waiting for you at the hospital entrance when you get out!" Naruto yelled as he balanced on the window sill.

"Alright Narut- NARUTO! Get off that window—"

As soon as Sakura ran toward the window, Naruto quickly planted a kiss on her lips and leaped onto the ground below with his jumpsuit in hand.

"Naruto, you idiot," she said as she smiled. Then she realized something.

'_That idiot isn't wearing any pants.'_

* * *

Naruto was on his way to the Hyuuga compound when he realized that he was holding his jumpsuit in his right hand—which meant he wasn't wearing any pants. As soon as he realized this he turned into an alleyway and started putting on his jumpsuit. Then he realized his jumpsuit had a hole—in his pants. Naruto took a detour and instead of heading for the Hyuuga compound ran toward his apartment.

'_This is just the worst luck in the world—I mean I saved the world and now I'm stuck with no pants! WHAT IS THIS!'_

Naruto quickly reached for his keys when he realized that because he had no pants, he had no key. Luckily, he kept a spare in a secret compartment carved into the door. Naruto opened his apartment door and quickly ran to his closet to grab a new jumpsuit. Unfortunately, his jumpsuits were nowhere to be found. Instead, he found several ninja outfits, each different from the other, a fiery cloak similar to one that his father wore, and an elegant robe.

"Huh? What happened to my orange jumpsuits?" Naruto asked himself. He had no time to waste however, so he quickly grabbed the navy blue ninja outfit. The outfit was a simple navy-blue and orange sweater, similar to the standard shinobi uniform, except Naruto's had a hood, an orange stripe on one of the sleeves, and was a lighter shade. The sweater also had his signature swirl on the back colored in orange, and had a subtle V-neck cut. The pants that came with the outfit were a charcoal grey color and were very much like the ones worn by the ANBU. He quickly put on his black ninja sandals and ran out the door—

_**BUMP!**_

Naruto ran into a mysterious figure as he exited his front door.

"Na-Naruto-kun!" exclaimed a shy Hinata.

"Ah, Hinata! Just the person I was looking for! I was actually just on my way over to your compound," Naruto explained. He was a bit surprised seeing Hinata right outside his doorway, especially since no one really knew he was out of the hospital. Or so he thought.

"I just came by to visit since I heard Sakura-san finally released you from the hospital," said Hinata. She looked at Naruto with longing in her eyes, but acknowledged that Naruto and Sakura loved each other. The entire reason she came to see Naruto today was to wish them both well and to explain why she did what she did in the battle with Pain.

"Listen, Hinata," began Naruto, "I actually came to talk to you about what happened—"

"I know, Naruto-kun. Actually, that's why I came to visit you today. I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for being so selfish. I should have put my faith in you, just like Sakura-san and the other villagers did. But I acted on my feelings and I almost got myself killed—and that would not have gone well with my father and Neji-san."

"Hinata. What you did for me was brave. And I'm grateful. I mean, who knows what would've happened if you hadn't shown up! Pain had me cornered! Maybe something else would've happened; maybe I could've broken free. But you saved my life then, and I'm grateful. But…I'm sorry I can't return your feelings," Naruto began, "But just know that I respect you a lot. You stood up to Neji all those years ago, and since then you've never given up. Us underdogs—we have to stick together! And we did! All of us—we were the underdogs in this battle for the world! But we stuck together, and we won. All of us gave our part. You, me, and every other ninja out there, and where are we now? We're happy!" Naruto gave Hinata his signature foxy grin. "Hinata, even though I love Sakura-chan, it doesn't mean I don't love you. I love everyone in this village!"

Hinata smiled and placed her hand next to her heart. She always believed what he said and admired his unwavering resolve. Even when she watched him from the distance, she felt his calm radiating aura, and it inspired her to grow stronger to catch up to him. She was a bit sad that she would never get to be with him, but at the same time, happy that he finally had everything he wished for. The village finally accepted and acknowledged him, and Sakura returned his feelings—it was everything he'd asked for. A smile spread upon her face as she approached Naruto and grabbed his right hand. Naruto was shocked, but quickly calmed down.

"Naruto-kun—thank you."

'_Now I can finally let you go and let you be happy. As long as you're happy, I'm happy.'_

Naruto smiled as Hinata let go of his hand and began walking away. He was satisfied with the outcome of the conversation, as Hinata seemed happy and he was relieved of the fear of hurting her. He had noticed that she always fainted when he was around or acted even stranger than she did normally, but he never realized that she acted that way because she loved him. It wasn't until she jumped in front of him to protect him from Pain that he realized just how strong her feelings really were. And it in a way made him sad that he couldn't return her feelings. He knew how that felt, and he knew it was painful. But she was like him—he carried a smile and acted as though it were nothing. Naruto had faith that one day someone would love her as much as he loves Sakura. Hinata was a strong ninja and had resolve that rivaled his own. They shared a strange bond, but he would treasure it as long as he lived.

Suddenly, Naruto realized that he had an entire day ahead of him, as Sakura was at the hospital working, and he overestimated the amount of time it would take for him to talk to Hinata. He decided to pay a visit to his favorite restaurant, Ichiraku Ramen.

Meanwhile, Sakura was backed up with hospital reports and inventory count failures. Apparently while she was asleep in Naruto's hospital bed a pack of raccoons broke into the hospital's main storage locker and ate a nice chunk of the hospital food. Now Sakura was stuck supervising inventory count since most of the surgeries were finished and the patients were now in recovery. On normal days, Sakura loved her job and what she did. On chaotic counterproductive days like these, she twistedly wished the war was still happening so she could at least have some action.

'_Only four more hours until I'm off…' _

Suddenly, another medic entered, and she had a message for Sakura from the Hokage.

"Sakura-san! Tsunade-sama needs you right away! It's urgent; she told me to take over your post for the rest of the day!"

"Hai!" Sakura yelled as she ran to Tsunade's office with great haste. She wondered what could be so important that it required immediate attention. Sakura approached the Hokage's Office door with great caution, as the last time she entered without permission, the council was in the middle of an important meeting and Tsunade punched her afterwards for not having proper etiquette. Sakura knocked on the door.

"Come in, Sakura." Tsunade's voice sounded somber and monotone. It said more than what she actually said—it told Sakura that the matter they were about to discuss was incredibly serious and possibly dangerous. Sakura walked into the office and stood before the Hokage.

"Hai, Tsunade-sama," saluted Sakura.

"Sakura, I called you here today because I have some bad news. Sasuke was spotted in the area that used to be the Hidden Sound Village. I've sent a squad of Anbu to deal with him. He is an S-Class missing ninja in the bingo book, and I have given the Anbu permission to kill him if he doesn't comply."

Sakura's heart sank. Although Sasuke was her first crush, her teammate bond with him meant more to her than her past feelings for him. The bond that her team shared was like that of a second family, and she held it close to her heart, even if it was strained. She was worried more however, for Naruto, and how he would take the news. He told her that Sasuke had seen the light and would perhaps soon abandon the darkness that consumed him. If he was right and Sasuke was killed, she predicted that Naruto would never let it go, and he would be angry with himself for not talking to him one last time.

"And what about Naruto? Are we allowed to tell Naruto? Sasuke was like his brother and even though they fought practically to the death during the war, Naruto still holds their bond on a pedestal!" Sakura yelled, fury in her heart and desperation in her voice.

"Sakura, I understand how Naruto feels about Sasuke. But Sasuke did try to kill him. If Naruto can't see past that and still considers Sasuke a brother, that's fine with me—Orochimaru did the same to Jiraiya and I, but we still considered him family until the end." Tsunade sighed. "Believe me I understand. However, the village and all the other nations wouldn't, and we can't go into conflict simply because we don't want to kill a man for the sake of one person's wishes. It's not only a selfish thing to do, it's unwise. I've sent the order, and my order is final. However…" Tsunade grinned.

Sakura perked at the idea of what was about to come. Sakura knew her master all too well, and when she grins as slyly as she just did, it means that she's about to break the rules in the spirit of loopholes and exploiting loose law clauses.

"However, that doesn't mean that I can't personally send you on a mission to hunt down some of Orochimaru's old laboratories in the Hidden Sound Village and destroy them so that the research would never be used again. You leave first thing in the morning—that means tonight at midnight!" Tsunade stamped the mission file with the Hokage Seal of Approval and gave Sakura the look of a master who understood her apprentice. Sakura nodded in approval, until a thought crossed her mind.

"Wait, what about Naruto?" Sakura asked as she looked puzzled.

"Sakura, I thought you'd never ask. Go find Naruto right now and let him know what I just told you. I'm giving him medical clearance to go on this mission. Also—this is your last chance. You also have another order from me: both of you come back alive."

"Hai, Tsunade-sama!" Sakura ran out of Tsunade's office and began her search for a certain blonde-haired ninja.

* * *

Naruto enjoyed a bowl of Ichiraku Ramen as Ayame, Teuchi's daughter, told him stories of how everyone in the village always talked about him. Naruto didn't mind the newfound attention he had received since his battle with pain, but he didn't exploit it either. Food places and local markets offered to give him free items just for the sake of being Naruto, but he refused and paid the prices fair and square. Naruto just wasn't the kind of person to use fame for personal gain.

"Ah, and everyone always stops by here now just so they can talk to you! I think they want your autograph, Naruto-kun!" shouted the excited Ayame. It had been weeks since Naruto last saw her, and in those weeks, her hair had grown a bit longer, and she developed a more mature demeanor. It was clear that the war made everyone grow up faster than they should. Naruto continued slurping the ramen noodles, paying little attention to the growing chakra signature of a certain pink-haired kunoichi.

"Naruto!" Sakura shouted as she made her abrupt entrance to the ramen stand.

"Sakura-chan—what are you doing off so early? I thought we didn't have a date until later!"

"Well, I need to talk to you. It's about Sasuke."

Naruto's eyes widened, and he quickly rose from his seat and paid the ramen bill. "Later everyone!" He sprinted off with Sakura.

Naruto's thoughts were racing. What about Sasuke could make Sakura drag him away so urgently and leave the hospital so early? It had to be important—and if it were that important, then Tsunade must have called her in. Which means it must be a mission.

"Sakura-chan," he began, "Sakura-chan, we're going on a mission aren't we? Baa-chan must have told you something. That's why you're off shift early, and that's why you came to find me right away, isn't it?"

Sakura was impressed. Before, Naruto's cognitive capabilities were slightly better than a tree stump's, but over time, every single aspect of his powers grew, including his brain.

"You're dead on, Naruto. Tsunade-sama called me in because word came in that Sasuke was spotted where the Hidden Sound Village once stood. Since he's an S-class criminal in every nation's bingo book, she ordered a team of Anbu to take him out if he doesn't comply with imprisonment." Sakura looked at Naruto with concern in her eyes, but it changed as soon as she saw that Naruto wasn't depressed or sad at all. In fact, he looked excited and eager to carry out the mission, even though he didn't know what it was yet.

"Naruto? Are you okay? I'd expect you to be a little more…well, serious." Naruto chuckled, as he swiftly turned his head toward Sakura with a smirk on his face.

"So Sakura-chan, what kind of mission do we have? It must have to do with Sasuke since me and you are being ordered on it!"

"Our mission is to find Orochimaru's hidden laboratories in the Sound Village—but according to Tsunade-sama, if we 'happen to find Sasuke' before Anbu does, we get one last shot." Sakura smiled, feeling her teammates excitement. "Now remember, Naruto—our mission is to search and destroy, basically. But you know, if we happen to run—"

"Yea, yea, I get it Sakura-chan. The granny does understand us after all!" Naruto grinned.

Sakura smiled. She always admired how Naruto could be so cheerful and optimistic even in bleak times. It was one of the many reasons she loved him. Sakura halted in the middle of a shopping square; Naruto kept going and only after a few steps realized that Sakura had stopped suddenly.

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked.

"Oi, Naruto, I just remembered," Sakura began, "Don't we have a date today?" She smiled and giggled.

Naruto smiled back. "Yea, we do Sakura-chan! I wanted to take you somewhere nice, but with this new mission, I guess we'll have to settle for something a little more…improvised!"

Sakura was excited until she realized she was still in her hospital uniform, which smelled and wasn't exactly date material, even if the date was casual. "Alright! If you don't mind, I'll go home and put on some new clothes and get out of this medical uniform—it reeks of tears and sweat." She cringed as she grabbed a fold of her uniform.

* * *

It has taken Sakura, so far, a total of two hours to change into her usual ninja attire. Naruto kept looking at the clock, wondering when his date would be ready. In the time it had taken her to change and get ready, he had gone home and searched for the one of a kind bracelet that an old lady had given him on one of his old missions with Jiraiya. It was no ordinary bracelet however—it was a bracelet with a special jutsu sealed within its materials when it was forged. It reacts to heightened and distressed chakra signatures. Since the nervous system and chakra system are practically linked, when the nervous system goes into a fighting or fleeing mode, the chakra system would change accordingly. This would trigger the bracelet, and the bearer would temporarily experience an opening of chi pathways and chakra paths that were usually difficult to impossible to open. Opening these pathways grants the user incredible speed and enhanced chakra efficiency. The downside is that this power boost lasts only five minutes—enough time to quickly put an end to a fight, or to find help and run.

To Naruto, the greatest feature of this rare artifact wasn't its power boost or how fashionable it looked, but the fact that when the bracelet activated, Naruto would know where to go. According to the old lady that gave Naruto the bracelet, the bracelet was forged in the fires of a temple at the base of the fire country where the Kyuubi was sealed long ago. Because of this, the Kyuubi's leaked chakras lightly tainted the special chakras and the jutsu sealed inside. Because Naruto has the Kyuubi sealed within him, the Kyuubi chakra inside of him would react if the bracelet were to ever activate. Naruto planned on giving this bracelet to Sakura in hopes that he would always be able to protect her without fail, and also because it was something nice that he hoped Sakura would wear as a reminder of their relationship.

Sakura finally stepped out of her house, where Naruto awaited with the bracelet in hand. He approached her with a shy but also sly smile, giving Sakura the hint that he had done something while she was getting ready.

"Alright Naruto. What did you do." She demanded.

"I may have gotten you…a present." Naruto said shyly. Sakura stepped back and blushed.

"N-Naruto, you can't. You can't give me your present!" She shouted.

"But Sakura-chan, I saved it just for—"

"_**BAKA IT WAS MY CHANCE FOR ONCE TO GIVE YOU SOMETHING!**_" Sakura yelled as she pulled out a set of chakra blades. There were four chakra blades in total: two of them were like Asuma's wind blades, where the user would grab the handle and the blade itself would be like another fist. The other two were actual blades—medium sized chakra daggers that had the same chakra channeling abilities as the traditional wind blades. Naruto's was shocked to say the least—he definitely hadn't expected Sakura to get him a gift, let alone chakra blades, which must have been expensive.

"Sakura-chan…I don't know what to say," Naruto replied.

"Naruto, you don't have to say anything. Try them out you idiot!" She shouted playfully as she punched him in the arm. Naruto grabbed the wind blades and remembered the lesson that master Asuma taught him during his training. He remembered failing miserably the first time he tried throwing the blades at a tree, and seeing Asuma pierce a stone effortlessly. Naruto focused his chakra into the blade, and threw it towards a boulder next to Sakura's door. Unfortunately, Naruto's skills had improved since the last time he threw a chakra blade—his blade pierced the rock and shattered it into thousands of pieces. The pieces flew everywhere—including the window that led to Sakura's room. Naruto's horrified expression couldn't properly show the panic he felt in his gut; Sakura was going to kill him.

"Naruto…" Sakura said sternly.

"S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-Sakura-chan, I can pay for that!" Naruto shouted desperately as he covered his head. Instead of being greeted with a fist however, he was greeted with a kiss.

"I knew you could do it! I'm so glad I saved these for you all these years!" Sakura jumped up and down, excited that Naruto could finally focus the chakra enough to do damage to boulders. "You really are strong, Naruto."

Sakura was surprising him left and right today. First she lays a Sasuke mission out on the table right after she told him not to exert himself. Next she has these chakra blades for him. And then he smashes a boulder into thousands of pieces and shatters her window, and instead of receiving a punch on the head that would surely give him a concussion, she kissed him! It reminded him just why he fell for her in the first place: she was different. Not just in physical appearance and skill set—her personality, her drives and her feelings—they all set her apart from everyone else. Naruto saw this from the start, and instantly fell in love.

"Sakura-chan, I love your present. Now, I'm gonna give you yours, so don't fight me!" Naruto yelled nervously.

"Fine fine, what is it?" Sakura asked. Within a second, Naruto was behind her and tying her headband around her eyes.

"Naruto, what are you doing? I can't see like this—"

"That's the point Sakura-chan! Now, hang on, okay? We're about to travel fast!" Naruto picked Sakura up and placed his hands underneath her neck and knees. He then took to the trees near Sakura's house, and headed toward the bridge where Team Kakashi would meet before a mission. Sakura held onto Naruto, unaware of the brisk speed at which they were travelling. She had no problem relaxing however—she was in Naruto's arms, and she trusted him. Naruto landed on the bridge, and slowly set Sakura down. He untied the blindfold.

To say the scene that awaited Sakura was beautiful would be an understatement. Naruto picked the perfect time to bring her to the bridge. The sun was just beginning to make its descent into the horizon, and in doing so, the light it emitted reflected off the surface of the river beneath the bridge. This gave everything in the vicinity—the trees, the grass, the flowers—an orange and pink harmonious glow so beautiful that Sakura couldn't stop staring. Naruto watched Sakura with loving eyes, happy that they could enjoy and savor this moment together before heading off on their last chance to bring Sasuke back in one piece.

"Naruto," Sakura began, "Naruto, this is beautiful." Sakura turned her body towards his and kissed him passionately. Naruto broke off the kiss to reach into his pouch and pulled out the rare bracelet.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto started, "This is my gift to you. It's a bracelet! But it's a special bracelet. If you're ever in danger, you'll get a power boost for about five minutes. Oh yea, and I'll know exactly where you'll be because this bracelet has a fraction of Kyuubi's chakra in it!" Naruto put the bracelet on Sakura. "I've saved this for awhile now. I wanted to give it to you when the time was right!"

Sakura loved it. It was a beautiful charcoal bracelet with a pumice texture and a coil pattern colored in a shade of lighter grey. In the center, it had an emerald jewel the same color as her eyes. Sakura wondered how long Naruto had held onto this for her, because a bracelet with this ability and beauty must be worth a fair amount of money, and for Naruto, money wasn't exactly in excess. Sakura tenderly touched the emerald on her bracelet, and looked up at Naruto, who was already moving in for a kiss. Sakura broke off the kiss to speak.

"Naruto," Sakura said softly, "I love it. It's beautiful." Sakura smiled.

"I'm glad you like it Sakura-chan! And I love your present, too." Naruto smiled back.

"Eh, Naruto, does that mean we're in an official relationship now? I mean, we might as well be…" Sakura teased as she punched him lightly in the shoulder.

"Well, Sakura-chan, I thought you'd never bring it up. Be my girlfriend?" He asked as he jokingly lowered himself on one knee.

"Of course, baka." Sakura eagerly replied. She then remembered that both of them had a mission and they were leaving in six hours. "Oi, Naruto, we have to sleep. We have a mission at midnight, remember?"

"Right! Sorry I guess I got caught up in the moment. I'll see you at midnight?" Naruto asked.

"Baka, why do you think I got all of my ninja clothes ready? I'm ready for the damn mission and I already left some of my things in your apartment! I'm sleeping over!" Sakura yelled as she punched Naruto slightly harder than she wanted to.

"Ow, Sakura-chan. That hurt," complained Naruto. It then hit him that Sakura left her things in his apartment. Which meant she must be the reason he lost his original key. Which must mean…

"Sakura-chan, did you cut that hole in my pants and steal my jumpsuits?"

Sakura snickered and gave him a playfully sly look. "Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. One thing at a time, Naruto-chaaaan," she teased.

The couple exchanged a kiss before running towards Naruto's apartment to prepare for the possibly dangerous mission ahead. Along the way, Sakura tripped Naruto several times, and Naruto picked Sakura up into menacing hugs. They looked happier than they'd ever been before and they had no choice but to savor the moments they had.

In due time, they would face their former comrade for one last time—and it could only end two ways.

**Author's Note:**

At last, a new chapter! Actually it hasn't been that long...maybe I should make you guys wait more :333! Anyway, this chapter is...definitely longer than the other chapters. It's more of a calm chapter, as this takes place after the events of well, last chapter. Of course, I did try to set the stage for some epic things next chapter. I devoted a good chunk of the chapter to Sasuke's development- and the identity of the masked man will partially determine whether or not Sasuke will be good or evil. As for the bracelet artifact that Naruto gave Sakura, well, I wanted to stick some of my own original creations in this story somewhere :3 It took me awhile to come up with a background story and concept for it, and at first I thought it was a stretch, but you know what, a lot of things in the Narutoverse are a damn stretch (I mean come one, the Uchiha pulling out techniques out of their behind like it's poo, what is this?) Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this rather lengthy chapter. It took up over 16 pages in my Word Processor :

Until next time my friends! Ciao~


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